


Reality is a Relative Concept

by Pixiemixieheart



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Anders is Anders, Darkish Characters, Evolving Tags as the story progresses, Fenris Has Issues, Fenris is scary but sexy because of course he is ;), Hawke is a bit of a dick tbh, Modern Girl in Thedas, Multi, actually, hes a huge dick, rated M for future chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-06-02 09:25:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6560905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixiemixieheart/pseuds/Pixiemixieheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What If you fell into Thedas and you weren't welcomed by your favorite characters with open arms? ....</p><p>With sobering clarity she realised that this may be Kirkwall. She may know its citizens; know everything about the lore and the basics of life here. But what she knew of these people and this place was essentially the cliff notes version. Just enough to pass the test, but not enough to know the intricacies and nuances of who these people truly were.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because it's been a while since I wrote a Modern Girl in Thedas Fic and I absolutely adore them... Here you go :D
> 
> No Fenny in this chapter but he is in the next ;)

Serena looked at the plaque next to massive wooden doors.

  1. **THE WHITE EMPORIUM**



 

She glanced down at her phone screen and read the address she’d typed into the notepad app earlier that morning.

**_121 Parallel Alley_ **

 

Well, this was definitely the place. She had not expected it to look so...foreboding. But beggars couldn’t be choosers after all.

Serena had spent the past three months looking for a job after she’d been laid off from the lawyers firm she’d worked at since she left college. The firm she used to work for had run into some financial problems of late. Apparently, one of the Partners had been stealing money from their client accounts over the past five years, amassing quite a fortune to the detriment of the firm and all its clientele.

Being but a personal assistant herself (to the very partner that committed the offenses, no less), she was deemed an acceptable loss along with another four of her colleagues as soon as her boss had been taken into custody and charges filed.

There were nine law firms in town and not one of them had even been willing to grant her the opportunity for an interview. Serena suspected it had less to do with that there were no positions available than with the fact that no one wanted to hire the PA of the lawyer who was currently on trial for embezzlement and fraud.

In any case, it didn’t matter now. She’d visited every other law firm in town, and this was her last shot. All that mattered was that she made a good impression. She could not afford to mess this up. 

_Okay, stay positive. I WILL get an interview. I am the best person for this job and all I have to do is make them see that._

With her head held high, she pressed the button on the intercom. There was a faint rustling sound before a vaguely familiar voice answered.

“Yes?”

 _“_ Um...Hello? My name is Serena Reed, I called this morning. I’m here to drop off my résumé for the personal assistant position. ”

“Ah yes, of course. Come on in, Miss Reed, I don’t have all day.”

_All righty then..._

There was a buzzing sound and Serena pushed open the heavy wooden doors. Immediately, she was faced with a long corridor that honestly looked like it had come right out of ‘The Shining.’ She half expected Jack Nicholson to jump out at her any moment and shout ‘Here’s Johnny!’

“Creepy...” she muttered to herself as she made her way to the archway at the end. The soft glow of the wall lamps barely provided enough light for her to clearly see the hideous orange and yellow wallpaper that lined the way. 

_What the..._

Serena glanced around the room she had just entered, blinking rapidly. In the middle of the circular room sat a frail looking old man at a desk covered with stacks of documents and files. In truth, the man was beyond what could be classified as old. ‘Ancient’ was a more apt description. The pinstripe suit he wore was obviously far too large for his thin frame and his thinning hair was white as a ghost.

“Well, don’t just stand there gawking at me, girl! Come here! ” The old man stood on shaky legs, beckoning her over with an impatient wave of a bony hand. “Well? I am a very busy man, Miss Reed, do you want this position or not?”

Serena snapped out of the stunned trance she was in and hurriedly rummaged through her bag, taking out the paperwork required. With an outstretched hand she swiftly passed it to the man who in turn, snatched it out of her still gripping fingers.

“Very well,” he answered as he looked over the sheet of paper. “This looks to be in order. Wait here, I will be back momentarily. Do NOT touch anything!”

With that, he left the room through a door to the left. Serena stood there, mouth agape and feeling both confused and a little bit appalled at being treated so brusquely.

_Jesus Christ, what an asshole..._

She did as she was told, however, waiting patiently for over ten minutes before she started to get restless. She shuffled uncomfortably on the balls of her feet, eternally grateful she’d worn her dolly shoes and not her heels. Bored, and a little bit restless, she surveyed her surroundings. Cabinets as tall as the ceiling lined the walls, the shelves covered in old books and adornments.  She did a double take as something on the cabinet to the left caught her eye...

_Holy shit!_

Excitement taking over, she ignored the warning she’d received not long ago and walked towards the greyish orb that had caught her interest.

_Why the hell would this even be here? It looks just like Solas’ foci! Is it a replica? Maybe working here wouldn’t be such a terrible thing._

She lightly ran her fingers over the grooves. They were deeper than she’d expected, the pattern reminding her somewhat of a fingerprint. Why on earth would an old man (in what was arguably the creepiest place she’d ever been to) have a replica of something found in _Dragon Age?_ Although, to be perfectly honest, there wasn’t any reason why he couldn’t be a fan. Unlikely, but not impossible.

Serena looked around nervously, listening for footsteps that would signal the return of her potential employer. Hearing nothing to indicate he was near, she gripped the orb in her left hand, removing it from the shelf and bringing it right up in front of her face to examine it closer.

_Huh? That’s weird._

The orb _hummed_ , faintly vibrating in her hand.

Without warning, green light erupted from the grooves. It was so bright that it caused Serena to gasp in shock, dropping the orb in order to cover her eyes with her palms. There was no time to register what was happening or do anything other than inhale sharply in shock as she felt herself be pulled roughly back. Her arms and legs flailed as she flew through the air, twirling and twisting violently through a haze of green light and a mist that felt too dense to be simply fog.

Suddenly (with more force than she’d ever felt in her life), she crashed face first onto the ground. Her limbs and delicate flesh protesting the violent manner in which they had arrived at their current destination.

“Oh, Thaddeus! It appears we have a customer! It’s so nice to have visitors, we don’t get many here, you know. At least, not living ones.”

_Ouch... wait what?_

“Feel free to peruse the wares at your leisure, but do NOT touch the exhibits.”

Serena raised her head, looking up from the floorboards. She did so slowly, her heart hammering hard in her chest...

_This isn’t real....It isn’t real... It isn...Fuck._

The air caught in her lungs and she stopped breathing...

The Black Emporium looked even more foreboding in reality than it did in the game. The ancient mirror (that honestly looked just like an Eluvian) stood ominously to her left, shards of red crystal protruding from its base. Directly before her, sitting immobile on a huge chair upon a dais.... Xenon, the Antiquarian.

 _“_ This isn’t real...” she whispered mostly to herself, blinking rapidly as if the action would make what she was seeing disappear.

“What a ridiculous statement. Reality is a relative concept.” Xenon’s voice echoed through the room, irritation evident in its tone.

“I... I...”

_Fuck, fuck, fuck...  this isn’t happening. I’m having a nervous breakdown... yes, that’s what it is... this..._

The sudden thud that came from behind her caused the floorboards to shudder beneath her body.

“Ah! That is Thaddeus. Allow him to help you up off the floor. It is not very becoming to be lying down in the middle of my establishment. I do not approve of sloth.”

Serena stood rapidly, the adrenaline and dread surging through her body, dulling the pain from the fall earlier. Behind her, easily ten feet tall, Thaddeus the Gollum walked towards her. All stone and crystal with an expression on its face that could chill even the blood of Satan himself.

_FUCK!_

 All sense and rational thought fled, her body reacting of its own accord as the ‘fight or flight’ instinct kicked in.

She ran.

She ran past the hulking mass that was Thaddeus, out of the room, and across the bridge she had traversed more times than she could count. It had been in different circumstances back then, of course. 

 _Then_ , she had controlled Hawke and his companions in a game via a controller. The images had been nothing more than pixels and computer code, never tangible. Never _real._

 Fumbling, hands shaking, she miraculously managed to open the huge wooden door and stumble out into ....the sewer?

_Wha...._

It didn’t matter. She ignored the momentary confusion and vomit inducing smell, following the dark tunnel, sprinting along a platform next to a river of stagnant, green tinged water.

She ran and ran, taking no note of the twists and turns that she made. All that mattered right now was that she had to get out.  Her limbs protested as she forced herself to run faster, her lungs struggling to keep up with the pace.

She did not yield.

Left, right, past something that vaguely resembled the decaying remains of a human body.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck... OH MY FUCKING GOD..._

She did not stop.

It wasn’t until a ray of sunlight caught her attention on the periphery of her vision that her steps faltered. Gasping for air, she turned her head to face the light.

In the distance she just about managed to make out the outline of a ladder.

Without a second thought, Serena ran towards it and began to climb; thanking her lucky stars that she’d thought to wear sensible trousers today instead of a skirt.

 _Finally_ , she emerged. The brightness of the sun hurt her eyes and she involuntarily squinted whilst she became accustomed to the light. Her heart still hammered, her hands and legs trembling uncontrollably both from fear and exhaustion.

Serena was unable to process the impossibility of where she was. The only logical explanation was that she was either dreaming or crazy. She was absolutely NOT in Kirkwall. No, she refused to believe that. Even as she looked around and saw the unmistakable cobbled streets and stately mansions of Hightown, she refused to accept that what she was seeing was true.

No longer gasping for breath, her breathing returning to normal, she glanced around.

_Holy fuck that’s an elf._

A young boy, no more than twelve, jostled past her as he sprinted away. Two guards ran after him, armour clanking and yelling for the boy to stop as they too vanished around a corner.

_This can’t be happening..._

A tap on her arm startled her and she took a step back, eyes wide as she turned to see what had touched her.

“Enchantment?”

“Oh hell, no!”  she said in disbelief, looking down at a face she recognised instantly.

Sandal smiled up at her, his eerily blue eyes glinting in the sunlight.

“Hello,” he said, shoving a stone... no, enchantment... into her hand. “Enchantment!”

_I just...I don’t even..._

 “Sandal, my boy! What have I told you about running off like that? I’m sorry, Miss Err...” Bodhan grabbed his son’s arm and pulled the young dwarf away from her, his brow furrowing as he took in her no doubt ruffled and bizarre apparel.  “Are you all right, Miss?”

Serena swallowed hard, willing herself to stay calm and not freak out. This was madness...but regardless if it was a dream (which she doubted) or if she was having a mental breakdown (much more likely), she had to do _something_.  She needed help.

“Hawke,” she said, her voice quivering. “Take me to Hawke.”

 

 

 

 

 

****

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lets meet Hawke and Fenny shall we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter sweeties! I should probably warn you that Hawke is not very nice and Fenny is ah... well, a little intense. I should probably say up front that this Fenris will not be puppy eyes, I need a cuddle sort of fenris. He is suspicious, lethal and intense....well, at first anyways.

Serena stood in the doorway just inside Hawke’s Mansion. Every bone in her body ached, hands trembling uncontrollably.

If there was anyone in Kirkwall that could help her, it was Hawke. At the very least she was certain the woman would provide her with a place to stay whilst she figured this out.  Serena _knew_ Hawke, for all the bluster and ridiculous jokes the woman cared about people. And as far as fantastical stories and unlikely situations The Champion had been in far too many herself to not believe Serena when she told the woman what had happened.  If there was one thing she was absolutely sure of after having played through Dragon Age 2 multiple times, it was that Hawke would help her.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

Serena turned to see Hawke enter the hall from a room to the right.

Her jaw fell.

Hawke was decidedly NOT a woman.

“H-Hawke?”

The man laughed...and it was not the easy, cheeky laugh she was expecting. There was no amusement in the tone, no amiable teasing lilt that she’d come to adore from her Marian Hawke. 

Fucking hell, Hawke was massive. A wall of pure muscle. Taller than her by at least two feet, his gaze serious as it met hers.

“Not too bright are you, little girl? I asked you your name.” he said, more a command than a question.

 “Serena. Serena Reed.” She answered quickly. “I need your help.”

Hawke’s lips lift at the corner, smiling without mirth.

“Is that right?” He crossed his arms across his chest. “And _what_ are you willing to give me in return for this... _help?”_

Serena opened her mouth and closed it again.

_Her_ Hawke had never asked for payment to help anyone. Sure, the option was there...but she’d never...

_Fuck....He’s a red Hawke...Still...red, blue or purple he’s still Hawke. He’ll understand..._

“Look,” she said, her eyes wide and pleading. “I know you don’t know me. But I know you. I’m not from here, and um where I’m from you are a...ah...a legend? Okay I’m not explaining myself properly. Basically, I sorta fell through a rift or something when I touched Solas’ orb. I think I’m from a different...Reality.  You’re the only person I could think of that wouldn’t think I was crazy. Please, you have to help me get back home.”

Hawke didn’t react. He simply stared at her, unblinking.

After a long uncomfortable silence, he nodded.

_Oh thank fuck..._

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she said, relief flooding through her.

“Wait here.”

Hawke walked away, into a room to the left not too far off. Now, you would think at this point Serena would know to keep her curiosity in check after what had happed with the orb, but true to her nature, she took a few hesitant steps forward until she could chance a glance inside.  

“... tell her there’s a crazy woman here and I want her removed from my sight. Aveline’s men need to do their job better. Hightown is not Darktown. We can’t have the crazies walking about freely, a danger to Kirkwall’s most important citizens. ”

_What?_

Okay fine, she did sound crazy. In hindsight, perhaps dropping that bombshell as soon as she’d opened her mouth was not the smartest thing to do. Still, ‘Kirkwall’s most important citizens’?...

This was not _her_ Hawke.

Hell, this wasn’t even Red Hawke.

With sobering clarity she realised that this may be Kirkwall. She may know its citizens; know everything about the lore and the basics of life here. But what she knew of these people and this place was essentially the cliff notes version. Just enough to pass the test, but not enough to know the intricacies and nuances of who these people truly were.

This man....she did not know _this_ man.

Quietly, sneakily (which was admittedly not very sneaky at all), she walked back to the front door, opened it and stepped outside. Then as quickly as was possible without drawing attention to herself, she hurried away from the Mansion, glancing behind her every now and again, paranoid that Hawke might be following.

He wasn’t.

However, a guard stood not too far ahead and she panicked.  Logically, there was no way that Bodhan had made his way to the keep to speak with Aveline yet but in her fragile, terrified state, Serena thought that the guard was sent to take her to the cells. She darted to the side, through an alley between the Hawke’s Mansion and another one. Her steps picked up speed, her breathing quickened.

A  garden!

Through overgrown foliage she ran, looking for somewhere she could hide. As fortune would have it, she reached a door. Testing the lock, she found it blessedly unlocked and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

Darkness...Darkness and the almost overpowering smell of damp.

Her eyes began adjusting as she made her way deeper in, jumping in shock and disgust when something squished beneath her feet…

“Wait what? Mushrooms? On the carpet?”

Serena’s heart beat hard in her chest.

She knew where she was.

“Oh no....Shit…”

Without warning, strong hands gripped her shoulders... _hard_. A high pitched scream escaped her lips, panic (and more than a little terror) filling her entirely. She knew all too well what Fenris was capable of.

Faster than she thought possible, Serena found herself pushed roughly against the wall, turned around with a hand covering her mouth muffling her scream. Fenris’ body held her in place with no possibility of escape, his other hand gripping her throat. The grip was tight enough that it hurt but not quite tight enough that it choked her…The threat, however, was very _very_ real.

“You will stop your incessant screaming or I will kill you. Nod if you understand.”

The hand at her throat tightened faintly in warning.

Serena did as she was told.

“Good.” Fenris stated, his green eyes watching her...searching. “I am going to remove my hand from your mouth. You _will_ tell me where to find Danarius.”

_No, no, no… shit, I’m so dead…._

Fenris removed his hand slowly, placing it palm down against the wall, right next to her head.

The truth would not save her. She’d learnt her lesson with Hawke earlier. Game Fenris would not hesitate to kill her if he believed she was in Danarius’ employ…Fuck knows what real Fenris would do if he thought she was one of the Magister’s slavers....there were things worse than death after all...

“I-I..who?” she lied, hoping the very real terror she was feeling masked her complete inability to lie effectively. “I don’t know who that is. I got lost…I-I was running away from the guards and…I wanted to hide. I didn’t think anyone lived here…”

Fenris growled deep in his chest and tightened his grip on her throat once more

“Do not _dare_ lie to me...”

“Pleasedontkillme!” She said quickly, both her hands darting up to grab the elf’s wrist.

Bad move.

The markings on Fenris’ hands glowed suddenly, and he pulled Serena forwards briefly before slamming her against the wall once more.

“DO NOT TOUCH ME!” He yelled, the faint scent of wine on his breath warm on her cheek as she closed her eyes.

She’d always known Fenris was intimidating….but seeing him lose his shit on the TV screen whilst playing a game and having a very real, _very_ pissed off Fenris directly in front of you with the power to decide if you live or die...are two very different things.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck....FUCK! shit...Fenris is how I die._

“Please. I’m sorry. I don’t know who you’re talking about…” Serena let go of his wrists, lowering her hands to her sides….her whole body shaking uncontrollably.  Tears escaped involuntarily. “Please...I don’t want to die.”

The rage in Fenris’ eyes vanished almost instantly at her pleading, his brows furrowing. Green eyes met with terrified, watery chocolate brown ones. 

“I believe you.”  Fenris grip loosened, his fingertips trailing lightly over the quickly bruising skin at her throat…still he did not step back. “Go to Darktown. There is a healer there that that will see to…your injuries.”

Serena stared at Fenris, eyes wide, too terrified to move, too afraid to even breathe recalling the last time the elf had said those words.... Just before he reached into Hadriana’s chest and crushed her heart mere moments after giving her his word that he would not harm her.

 “Why are you still here? “ Fenris asked, his voice calm yet threatening nevertheless.

“Because I don’t trust you won’t kill me the second my back is turned.”

The smirk that formed on his lips chilled Serena’s bones.

He leaned in closer, his breath warm on her face once more.

“If I was going to kill you, I would not do it when your back was turned. I would want to look you right in the eyes as I crushed your heart and watch as the life drained from them.”

A noise that sounded very much like a squeak escaped her.

“I won’t tell you again. Leave. Now.” Fenris said, turning away from her, grabbing an open bottle of wine on a table to the left and making his way up the dilapidated staircase without even another glance.

Serena stood stunned for a full minute before she managed to gather her wits and run out of the same door she’d entered through.

Fuck, was everyone in this fucking city demented? How could the game’s writers get everything so, so wrong? This was not the Kirkwall she knew. Hawke was not the Hawke she knew and Fenris…well, Fenris was absolutely fucking nuts.

She was well and truly fucked.

As she hastened through the streets of Hightown towards the stairs that led to Lowtown, Serena worked hard to calm herself down, to no avail. This whole situation was…impossible.

More than once in her late night fantasies, she’d fancied herself magically transported to Thedas, interacting with her favourite characters from Dragon age, perhaps falling in love with one of them and living happily ever after…

In her fantasies however, all her ‘friends’ had welcomed her, took her in with almost no questions asked. Hawke protected her sort of like an older sister would; Fenris took one look at her and fell instantly in love and Anders….

Wait.

Anders….

At this point she wasn’t about to believe that Anders was in anyway the same as he’d been in the game. But perhaps, if she played her cards right… pretended to be a refugee from Ferelden, offered to help in the clinic….

Maybe (if the powers that be weren’t complete assholes), Anders would give her a place to stay or at the very least direct her to somewhere she could stay whilst she figured out what the fuck she was meant to do in this God forsaken city until she found a way home.

Taking a deep breath, Serena followed the alley that she knew would lead her to Anders clinic, praying to no one in particular, that she would be able to pull this off. Because if she didn’t, there was a very real possibility she would not live long enough to find a way home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed it guys! hugs for all!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lets meet anders!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Sorry I've been awol for forever..... summer really is a terrible time for me :( so busy. I'm back now and will be aiming for a chapter a week. Lets see how it goes. It's been forever since I wrote anything so please be gentle with me till I get back into the flow of things. I apologise if the quality is not at its usual standard...It's been hard to write tbh.

Darktown was even more depressing than she expected it would be. In the game, half the characters were faceless copies of the same generic NPC, but in this Darktown each of its inhabitants were unique. Serena could clearly see the suffering etched into each and every one of those faces, both old and young alike.

As she took the last step on one of the many stair cases in this area of the city, a hand grabbed at her ankle.

“Please Miss, spare a copper for a poor old man?”

“I-I…don’t…I’m sorry…”

The man’s expression quickly changed to one of annoyance, pushing her ankle away roughly.

“Piss off then!” he exclaimed, laying back against the filthy wall, and taking a swig of something blue (Lyrium, probably) from a small vial he removed from the rags he wore.

“I’m sorry.” She said again, too full of pity to be upset at the man’s rudeness.

Onwards she continued, mindful not to make eye contact with anyone else. No one smiled here. Not to mention that not one of them looked even the slightest bit friendly. The last thing she needed was to unwittingly piss off anyone else. After a while Serena couldn’t help but cover her nose and mouth with her shaking hand. The smell in Darktown was overpowering. A mix of body odour, damp and something else she’d rather not think about. Straining her eyes to see where she was going, she finally understood why it was called Darktown. The weak flame from the few candles on the walls was barely enough to light the way.

Eventually, she arrived at the door to Anders Clinic.

The door was closed, but the lantern that stood just above it burned bright. Knowing that meant that Anders must be within, she tentatively tested the door knob, breathing a silent sigh of relief when she found it unlocked.

“H-hello?”

Inside, a single Candle rest on a desk littered with papers lit the room, casting an eerie glow on the few cots in the empty clinic. Elfroot and a metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, the wooden floor stained dark in places. The scene looked like something out of a horror movie, all that was missing was the creepy music that usually signalled something terrible was about to happen. (Though her imaginative brain was doing a very good job of providing that at the moment.)

Tentatively, she took a few steps inside, closing the door behind her.

“Hello?” She said again, louder this time.

“Can I help you?”

Serena turned suddenly, gasping in shock at the unexpected voice. She turned too fast however and stumbled back, falling right on her ass.

_Ok Ouch_...

Shit, Anders was even more gorgeous in real life than he was in the game. Like stunningly attractive. Sure, his coat was missing feathers, he was skinny to the point of malnourishment, dark circles under his eyes attested to his not sleeping much but...

“Sweet baby Jesus you’re beautiful...” She said before she could stop herself. “Erm...I mean. Hi.”

_Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck._

Anders raised an eyebrow questioningly, chuckled and knelt down to her level.

“Hi.” He answered smiling kindly. “I’m Anders. Is there a specific reason why you are here? Do you need healing or are you lost?”

 “Ah Yes!” she answered perhaps a little overenthusiastically. “Uh...an elf with glowing markings attacked me, he kept asking where he could find someone called Danarius and well,  um...” Serena pointed to her neck “my neck hurts...He let me go when he realised I didn’t know who he was talking about and said there was a healer here that would help me.” She stammered somewhat pathetically.

Anders expression turned grave as he leant in closer, raising a hand to Serena’s neck.

“May I?”

“Please.”

Anders lightly gripped Serena’s chin and moved her head to the side, grumbling as he surveyed the damage.

“Maker damned elf and his bloody paranoia. You’re very lucky. I’m surprised he didn’t kill you if he thought you worked for Danarius. Fenris isn’t very rational when he’s in slaver killing mode. Come on, Let me help you up and we’ll sort this out for you, okay...Sorry what was your name? Or should I just call you Calamity Jane? ” Anders said, offering her his hand.

Serena felt tears welling up in her eyes not quite sure why she wanted to cry. Relief? Gratefulness? Hell maybe even exhaustion. Thankfully, she swallowed the lump in her throat and managed to keep the tears from falling, smiling back at him instead.

Anders helped her up off the floor and towards one of the cots.

“Serena is fine. Thank you. You’re the first kind person I’ve met in this city.”

“Just arrived here huh? And yes, this city is...well, it’s a shit hole, honestly. No point sugar coating it. Also, healing _is_ my profession. Have to put food on the table somehow, I don’t do this _just_ to be kind.”

_Crap...that’s new._

When the fuck did Anders start accepting payment?

“Oh shit. Mr Anders, I-I...can’t pay you. I’m sorry I don’t have any money...I um..I..”

“Don’t worry about that right now. We can sort out payment later, you don’t have to pay me right away. You know what though? I think the thing to do here, would be to make Fenris pay for your treatment. After all he was the one who hurt you in the first place and it isn’t like he’s lacking in the Gold department either. Damned elf hordes pretty much all the Gold he gets anyway.”

“Oh, no. Nope, no, no, no!” She said  shifting back further on the cot she was sitting on, waving her hands in front of her chest in a ‘oh hell no’ manner. “He’s demented! Seriously, the look in his eyes...” She shuddered. “Leave him out of it. I’ll figure out a way to pay you myself.”

“You’re not wrong. He is demented, but right now what I’d like is to heal you before the bruising gets worse. Try to relax. You’re going to feel a little tingling sensation and some warmth, but it shouldn’t hurt. Ready?”

“No, but go ahead anyway.” She answered gripping the sheets tightly. It wasn’t that she was scared, but that ‘shouldn’t’ thrown in there did make her a little nervous.

Anders’ hands began to glow as he hovered them just over her throat and he cast his healing magic.

Thankfully, her nerves were unwarranted . There was no pain, just the warmth and tingling that Anders had warned her about. It felt a little odd in truth, but not quite to the point where it was uncomfortable. In any case he was done within minutes.

“And you’re done.” He said patting her thigh twice. 

“Already? That quickly?”

Anders chuckled.

“What exactly were you expecting? Incantations and summoning circle?” Anders asked as he rest against the empty cot directly in front of her, his hands gripping the edge of said cot for support. “Not met many mages have you?”

“Ah no…sorry.”

Serena’s eyes widened momentarily when she realised that this was the perfect opportunity! If she could get Anders to believe she wanted to help, supported mages then, maybe, just maybe… he’d be willing to help her in return. Her conscience pricked momentarily at the thought of manipulating Anders like that. Still, it wasn’t a complete lie. She _was_ Pro-Mage after all…

“But!” she continued on before he had a chance to speak, “I think Mages are awesome!”

Anders raised an eyebrow, regarding her somewhat sceptically.

_Ooops too much?_

“Well, you know. I’m sure there’s dick Mages out there too, but that’s true of people in general. Don’t have to be a Mage to be a dick. Actually, there’s probably more dicks out there that aren’t Mages than those that are.”

“You sure do like saying dick a lot.” Anders Smiled, “Unfortunately there are not many people who think like you do.”

“About dicks?” asked Serena before she could stop herself, the Mage’s easy demeanour putting her at ease enough that she couldn’t help but joke a little.

Anders blinked owlishly for a second before breaking out in laughter.

“Sure, about dicks.” He answered as the laughter died down to a chuckle. “But I _did_ mean mostly about the Mages.”

“Oh that. Yeah.” Deciding ‘in for a penny in for a pound’, Serena continued. “I hate that they cage Mages up in Circles like they were some sort of criminals, just because they were born with Magic. It’s unjust. I can’t even imagine what they must be treated like. If I could I would break every single one of them out. Hell, I’d probably blow up a Chantry if I thought it would help.”

Anders regarded Serena seriously for a moment. His gaze locked on hers briefly before it travelled down her body to her toes and back up again, searching. Serena tried her best not to hold her breath, feeling her heartbeat speed up as the sustained stare.

_Shit. He sees right through me….fuck, balls, twat…_

“Where are you staying tonight, Serena?” He asked finally, the sound of his voice, startling her after the prolonged silent stare.

“Nowhere…I’m Fereldan, I only just got here today and I don’t have any money soooooo….I figure in an alley somewhere maybe?”

Anders moved away unhurriedly, made his way to some shelves on the left side of the clinic, grabbed a pillow and a blanket before returning to stand in front of her again, handing her the items.

“Tonight you can stay here, tomorrow we can talk some more. You should probably get some rest now. My room is over there to the right. If you need anything feel free to come find me. I’m going to head off to bed now.”

Serena let out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t believe her plan had worked. Finally! Something finally went according to plan!

“Thank you so much, Anders. You really are very kind. ” She replied, watching as Anders walked to the front door, blew out the candle just outside and locked the door behind him when he entered again.

Okay, so maybe he was acting a little strange. He seemed really friendly before she mentioned anything about the Circle. She’d have thought that after voicing her support for Circle abolishment he’d be more friendly if anything. Instead he was quiet and acting well, shifty for lack of a better word.

When Anders got to the door of his bedroom, he stopped and turned to face her.

“Oh and Serena, if you’re going to pretend to be from Ferelden, maybe you should make sure you have the right accent for it. In any case, tomorrow I’ll expect you to tell me the truth or be gone before I wake up. Your choice. Goodnight.”

Without another word he stepped into his room and closed the door.

“Well….Shit.” She said to no one in particular.

Still, at least she had a place to sleep tonight and Anders hadn’t turned out to be crazy like the rest of the people she’d met today…

_Thank the Maker for small blessings I guess…_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! feedback greatly appreciated! hugs!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena and Anders have a little talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, so I'm still trying to find my juju so please bear with me if the chapter is not up to the usual standard. Getting back into writing after a near 3 month absence is proving harder than I thought it would. Thanks and huggles for all!

When Serena woke it almost felt like she hadn’t slept at all. With a yawn, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. For a brief moment she wondered where she was, blinking heavily as her eyes slowly attempted to adjust to the darkness.

Half way through a yawn she froze…

_Oh….Shit….Did I really blurt out that I would blow up the Chantry?_

No fucking wonder Anders had seen through her pathetic attempt at manipulation (if one could even call it that). In fact it was a wonder Justice hadn’t manifested right then and there and annihilated her ass on the spot.

Even after her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the clinic she was still only barely able to see a few feet in front of her. Briefly, she wondered if it was even morning yet. There was no way to tell down here. After all, Darktown _was_ underground. The sun could be at its highest peak and it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference.  

Serena sighed deeply mulling over her current dilemma.

Tell Anders the truth or leave before he woke up. Honestly, neither of those options were appealing in the slightest. Now that the panic had worked itself out of her system and she was able to think clearly she felt like kicking the shit out of herself. Regardless of everything that had happened, she should have known better than to lie. It wasn’t just that she was absolutely hopeless at making even the smallest of white lies sound believable. Her mind boggled at how she’d even thought that Anders would never find out. Serena had already blurted out everything to Hawke. If her plan had worked, and she’d ended up staying at the clinic, Hawke would have come down here eventually. And when he saw her it was pretty much a given the man would have told Anders everything .

All things considered, at this point it was probably best to throw her cards on the table and let them lie where they may.  Tell Anders everything. Well, not _everything_ (probably), but at the very least all she’d told Hawke. It wasn’t worth the risk being caught out in a lie again. Next time, Justice really would obliterate her and she rather liked living, thank you very much.

Serena held no delusions that Anders would take her in after he’d heard her story. In fact, she didn’t expect him to believe her at all. He’d likely think her crazy just as Hawke did. But considering the alternative it was probably best he think her a crazy fool than a Templar spy. There was no doubt that that was probably what was going through his mind right now. Especially after that Chantry comment. Hell, why had he even let her stay? Regardless of whether he was Game Anders or Real Anders, the man was not stupid. He had to have had a plan. Yet no matter how hard she tried to think on what his reason for letting her stay could possibly be, nothing came to mind.

In any case as long as she managed to convince him she wasn’t threat (even if he did think her crazy), then at worst she could leave without fear of being followed by a very angry spirit by the name of Vengeance intent on getting rid of her.

The thought made her shudder and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. The darkness was starting to bother her. She’d never really liked the dark. Once, when she was little, she’d got some chemicals into her eyes and had to wear a bandage over them for two days. Pitch black…for two days. No light, no anything.

It had been terrifying.  

Even now, the darkness still made her heart race and hands shake. Stealing her nerves,the decision made Serena threw the meagre blanket off of her and made her way to Anders desk. The half melted candle she’d noted the day before was still there, thankfully. If only she could find a match to light it with.

_Wait, are there even matches in dragon age? There have to be right? It isn’t like everyone’s a mage here and are able to conjure fire out of thin air…..Ah, balls…_

There would be no matches here. Anders didn’t need them.

She really didn’t want to wake Anders up for something as ridiculous as this, but he _had_ told her to go find him if she needed anything. Serena turned around (perhaps a little too fast) and bumped face first into Anders chest, his hands automatically gripping her by the shoulders.

“Exactly, _what_ are you doing?”

“Holy Motherfucking Christ!” She exclaimed, “The fuck are you? A ninja?!” Her heart beat hard in her chest as she took one deep breath an attempt to calm down, whilst simultaneously trying (in vain) to step away from the tall mage. Anders refused to release his grip on her shoulders. In fact, the grip got slightly firmer.

“Answer the question, Serena.” He asked, with a tone that brokered no argument. This was not a happy Anders.

“Okay, look.  I’m completely aware of what this looks like. But I swear I wasn’t snooping. I wanted to light the candle. I really don’t like the dark you see, but that’s besides the point…Anyway,  I realised pretty quickly that  you wouldn’t have matches because, well you don’t need them. So I was gonna come get you and ask you to….”

Just then, her stomach decided it was a perfect time to growl…loudly. With everything that happened yesterday, Serena had forgotten that she’d not actually eaten anything for over a day. Apparently, her body had not forgotten, making its point again as her stomach rumbled again even louder than before.

Anders stared at her, unflinching. Paying no heed to the sounds her belly was making. His expression deadly serious, unreadable.

 Jesus… Anders’ silent glare was scarier even than even Fenris’ uncontrolled rage.  With Fenris you at least knew what his intentions were.

Finally he spoke, still refusing to release her shoulders (though he’d allowed her to take a step back).

“What do you suggest I do with you now, Serena?”

“Listen, before you make any rash decisions…You asked me yesterday to tell you the truth. Will you let me tell you now? Then you can decide what you want to do. I swear, it isn’t what you’re thinking. Give me a chance to at least explain…” Serena said, the unmistakable tremor in her hands betraying her nerves.

Anders continued to stare (or was it glare?) at her. Suddenly, he seemed to have made his decision as he waved his hand and all the candles in the clinic magically lit. The sudden brightness made Serena wince a little before looking at Anders properly. Now that she could see him clearly, she noted that the dark circles under his eyes looked far worse than they had yesterday. If she didn’t know any better she’d swear he hadn’t slept in the entire night….

_Wait.._

“You didn’t sleep at all.” She remarked as realisation dawned on her.

Anders merely kept silent.

The friendly, easy going man she’d met yesterday was gone. In his place stood an entirely different person. The tension was so thick it was almost tangible. Neither saying anything, neither looking away.

Remarkably, though she was nervous she was not afraid.  Whatever else, Serena did not believe Anders would harm her, at least not without proof that she was indeed a threat to him, Justice or their plans. 

Another stray thought flittered through her mind randomly, and there mere thought made her tense up and take in a sharp breath.

“You thought I was going to run, didn’t you? You figured, if I run that was enough proof that my intentions were not honourable and your conscience would be clear when you dealt with me.” Serena looked directly at Anders, unblinking.

Had she made the wrong move, if she’d left before he ‘woke up’, she’d likely be dead right now.

“But you didn’t run.” He finally answered. “Though finding you at my desk when you had no cause to be there is enough to…stake my sense of justice, shall we say. But I can’t figure out what your ultimate goal is, and I hate not knowing. So, for now, I suppose you’re safe. You wanted to talk, so talk.”  

Anders let go of her shoulders, but the gesture didn’t fool her. It was a mere tactic to put her at ease so that she could say whatever it was she had to say more easily. There was no doubt in her mind that should Anders wish it, he could overpower her quicker than she could run out of the door.

“All right. Can we sit down though? It’s gonna be a long story and my legs hurt from all the running yesterday.”

Anders nodded and extended his hand toward a dingy looking table and two chairs.

“Thanks.”

As she made her way toward the table, it did not escape her notice that the mage was wearing his staff. If she managed to get out of this unscathed, Serena promised herself she would ask how the in the hell it stayed on his back without a clasp.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

“So you are telling me, that you know exactly what will happen before it happens, is that correct?” Anders asked, raising an eyebrow. “And you expect me to believe, that the things you just told me, you know because you know of me from a game from your world and not because you have gathered this information as a spy?”

Anders ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head.

“Okay, so when you put it that way, it really does sound suspicious.” She replied, eating some bread and cheese that Anders had given her half way through her story. (Probably because her rumbling belly was pissing him off.) “ I’m not really sure how to prove what I’m saying is the truth... How many years has it been since you met up with Hawke?”

When Anders remained silent, Serena sighed.

“I won’t have a clue where in the timeline we’re at unless you tell me. How can I tell you what’s going to happen next unless you tell me how long you’ve known Hawke for?”

Anders considered her words and nodded.

“About four years.”

Okay, so they were in act two. She could work with Act Two. Still, she needed more information.

“All right, and is there any quest you need to go on with Hawke?” She asked hopefully.

“Well, I hadn’t planned on going but truthfully I need the gold and Fenris pays well.”

Serena blinked in confusion.

“Come again?”

“Tomorrow, Fenris, Hawke, Merril and myself are going up to Sundermount to hunt for Fenris’ Master’s apprentice. Hadrienne? Heridanna? I forget the name.”

Wait, Fenris was _paying_ them to help? When the hell did that?..... Nevermind.

So what if Fenris was paying them. Sure it was sad that he had to pay his friends in order for them to help him, but right now that didn’t matter. She couldn’t believe her luck. This was a quest she knew inside and out.

“Okay, so if I tell you what’s going to happen, and it happens just as I say. You’ll believe me, yes?”

“I will at least consider that you _believe_ you are telling the truth.” He replied, expression still serious (though not as severe as it had been not that long ago).

“That’s good enough for me.” Serena smiled.

There’s no way Anders wouldn’t believe her story when they found Orana and Serena had been able to describe every detail right down to the clothes the slave was wearing. There was absolutely no way he would doubt her once the vile blood mage tried to use Fenris’ sister as a bargaining chip in exchange for her life….And even if that didn’t convince him, the second Fenris crushed Hadriana’s heart in his fist after giving her his word that he wouldn’t harm her, Anders wouldn’t be able to explain away how Serena knew all that unless she had been telling the truth about not being from this world.

Silently, Serena thanked her lucky stars that it had been this quest and not some other obscure one she might not remember. God knows what she’d have done then. Anders promised her she was safe for now, not indefinitely. There was no guarantee he would help her even after she proved what she was saying was true. Still…there was hope.  

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I swear it gets less depressing lol Next time we shall be meeting Varric whilst Anders, Fenny and the gang do their thing ;) There will be a little bit of fun ahead :D cookies for everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading guys! Feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. Hugs and cookies for all!


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